With every note and word, Matt Blais stands out as a spirited and hardworking musician. His signature raspy vocals and blistering blues harmonica are the unique cornerstones of a high energy live show that has captivated audiences across Canada and in countries around the world. Having shared the stage with the likes of Blue Rodeo, The Trews, Moist, The Glorious Sons, Big Wreck, Charlie Winston and more, the charismatic musician returns to British Columbia’s Okanagan for dates this May in Revelstoke, Grinrod, Birch Island and Enderby.

Blais’ latest single / music video ‘Set Me Free’ was released during October of last year to follow his 2013 album ‘The Heartbeat’.

The video captures the Canadian roots-rock artist with a vintage backdrop of the desert like a nomadic rebel on a true adventure. The single is produced by Brian Moncarz (Our Lady Peace, The Trews, Circa Survive).

Powerful vocals, electrifying harmonica, and emotive performances are the characteristics that have made Matt Blais an artist of high regard. With the ability to enthrall audiences as a solo performer or thrill them with his band, the charismatic Blais expands the Canadiana genre by sharpening the edge of rock, blues, and folk. He is at home on stage, with many tours, festivals, and performances in Canada and countries around the world. Sharing the stage with some of Canada’s biggest acts like Blue Rodeo, The Trews, and The Strumbellas, (to name a few), has helped shape Blais into a consummate showman. Matt’s independently released recordings have garnered critical acclaim, sold thousands of copies, led to a collaboration with Sam Roberts, and earned him multiple awards such as “The Great American Song Contest” in 2016. His proudest accomplishment, however, is the lasting relationship he has with his fans. Having almost frozen to death when the tour van broke down in northern Canada to dragging his guitar through the Australian outback, Matt Blais is a dedicated troubadour in search of authentic experiences. He is living proof that hard work and honest artistry are present in today’s world and still desired by music lovers.

“Frontman Matt Blais knows how to work a crowd and he is far from afraid of showing off his talents.” – The Scene Magazine (Live Review – Indie Week 2013)

“Over the past five years, Matt Blais has been generating a catalogue of material that is both emotive and relatable. His passionate live performances demonstrate eagerness to create heartfelt songs and nowhere is more evident than on his newest album, The Heartbeat, where a poetic personality fuses with growing life experience.” – Beatroute AB.

That success, he says, has nudged him to step his game up, as a performer and songwriter, which he thinks he’s done with his latest release The Heartbeat,” – Calgary Herald

“Blais uses heavily-charged emotional lyrics as well as a gritty band behind him to produce a blues-slash-rock sounds, which has been commended by many local media sources. His sound is highlighted by a sometimes raspy voice, which helps to fill the total appearance of the band.” – Grande Prairie Herald

“His high energy set was a definite crowd pleaser, and everyone was up out of their seats for the entire performance. With a voice reminiscent of The Cat Empire (minus the accent), Blais powered through his rock songs, and showed his ability to go in a bluesy direction, with accompanying harmonica, that really brings out the grit in his vocals. Keeping with the theme of the opening acts, Blais brought in a cover of “Are You Gonna Go My Way” by Lenny Kravitz that was thundering, with good horn additions to make it his own. He transitioned smoothly to Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition“, but a version that was slower, harder and very slick. Next, a cover of Franz Ferdinand’s “Take Me Out“, full of the same joy and energy that Blais showed with the rest of the set, highlighting the great new material on the release. Fans eagerly streamed to the merch table, securing their own copy, which came free with paid entrance to the show.” – Live Review – YYC Music Calgary

“Firmly rooted in many of the genres that Matt Blais incorporates into his music, his raspy yet refined vocals point each song in the direction it was originally intended.” – Phylicia Tran – Spun – The Gauntlet

With every note and word, Matt Blais stands out as a spirited and hardworking musician. His signature raspy vocals and blistering blues harmonica are the unique cornerstones of a high energy live show that has captivated audiences across Canada and in countries around the world. Having shared the stage with the likes of Blue Rodeo, The Trews, Moist, The Glorious Sons, Big Wreck, Charlie Winston and more, the charismatic musician returns with his latest single / music video ‘Set Me Free’. The video captures the Canadian roots-rock artist with a vintage backdrop of the desert like a nomadic rebel on a true adventure. The single is produced by Brian Moncarz (Our Lady Peace, The Trews, Circa Survive).

About:Matt Blais is the winner of The Great American Song Contest plus has released three independent studio recordings 2013’s ‘The Heartbeat’, 2010’s ‘Let It Out’ and 2008’s ‘The Connection EP’. All releases have received critical acclaim, Canada wide radio play plus have independently sold thousands of copies and have featured musicians, Sam Roberts, Cone (Sum41), Jimmy Bowskill (The Sheepdogs) along with collaborations with producers David Bottrill, Mark Howard and Brian Moncarz. Blais creates a stylized

union of emotionally influential blues, folk and rock to intensely express the simple struggles and triumphs of today.

More songs are awaiting release in 2017. With a drive to create and a refusal to stop, the potential of Matt Blais and his music is limitless.

My Song For Change Contest Winner And Calgary Songwriter Matt Blais Debuts Finished Song And Video With Who’s Who of Canadian Music

Recording sessions are finally complete and 2014 My Song for Change national songwriting contest winner, Matt Blais, is ready to share his winning song and accompanying video with Canada. The Calgary-based musician was selected by a panel of judges in August during the Western Union-sponsored contest for his song “Fire From the Spark”, which was then professionally recorded and produced with Sam Roberts and Grammy Award-winning producer David Bottrill. The September sessions also featured special guest spots from notable artists including Ian D’Sa of Billy Talent, Cone McCaslin of Sum 41, and Sekou Lumumba and Hill Kourkoutis of Serena Ryder. Additional production support was provided by Head Engineer Kevin Dietz.

“Fire From the Spark” is available for purchase on iTunes, with proceeds from sales going to Make Music Matter, a charity that focuses on enhancing, enriching and improving children’s lives in developing countries through the transformative power of music. The music video can be seen on the Make Music Matter Facebook page and Youtube Channel.

“The My Song for Change journey has been a truly memorable one, highlighted by an incredible recording session with a talented group of artists, producers and songwriters,” said Matt Blais. “I am so thrilled to share my song and video with my fellow Canadians and hope that its message inspires others to use music as a tool for change.”

This year’s My Song for Change national songwriting contest was again hosted by Make Music Matter and sponsored by Western Union. Building on the Western Union heritage of connecting individuals around the world through a global network in more than 200 countries and territories, the sponsorship sought to leverage the power of music to educate, connect, transform and enrich people’s lives.

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About Make Music Matter

Make Music Matter believes that by utilizing the transformative power of music, we can influence people around the world to make more positive choices. Positive choices today help to create a positive future for all. Since 2007, Make Music Matter has been using music to engage, educate and foster leadership in youth in communities affected by extreme poverty. Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, Make Music Matter’s on-the-ground efforts strive to enhance, enrich, and improve children’s lives in developing countries. For more information, please visit http://www.makemusicmatter.org.

About Western Union

The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to purchase money orders. As of September 30, 2014, the Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded services were offered through a combined network of over 500,000 agent locations in 200 countries and territories and over 100,000 ATMs and kiosks. In 2013, The Western Union Company completed 242 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $82 billion of principal between consumers, and 459 million business payments. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.

About Blais:

Touring across Canada for most of 2014 and 2013 with performances at Canadian Music Week, Indie Week, Alberta Beach Fest, Canal Flats in BC, Calgary’s Blankfest III, the Calgary Stampede Fest and showcasing this year at MUSEXPO in Los Angeles all in support of his latest album ‘The Heartbeat’. Matt Blais has gained strong comparisons to artists such as Sam Roberts, Matt Mays and Joel Plaskett for blending elements of fiery rock and roll with smooth vintage soul blues to form a sound so uniquely his own that one can’t help but become emotionally charged. The combination of his high energy live show and a passion for song writing is Blais’ formula for success, which thus far has been very well received by critics and the audiences in Canada and beyond that continue to grow in number.

“Frontman Matt Blais knows how to work a crowd and he is far from afraid of showing off his talents.” – The Scene Magazine (Live Review – Indie Week 2013)

“Over the past five years, Matt Blais has been generating a catalogue of material that is both emotive and relatable. His passionate live performances demonstrate eagerness to create heartfelt songs and nowhere is more evident than on his newest album, The Heartbeat, where a poetic personality fuses with growing life experience.” – Beatroute AB

“The name Matt Blais is a familiar one to those in the Calgary, Alberta music scene. Well known as talented and respected musician, Matt likes to break musical moulds, mixing rock, blues and soul for a sound all his own…I sat with what might be described as a “perma-grin” as he effortlessly played to every person in the room that night. A natural born entertainer, Matt is the real deal, and if it’s an entertainer you’re looking for all you have to do is follow The Heartbeat.” – The Portal Magazine

And crowds have shown him a great deal of love over the past several years, with Blais and band packing rooms across the Prairies and gaining notoriety by performing during Calgary’s Juno Fest shows in 2008 and winning local talent showcases such as the AMP Radio Rockstar competition. That success, he says, has nudged him to step his game up, as a performer and songwriter, which he thinks he’s done with his latest release The Heartbeat,” – Calgary Herald

“Blais uses heavily-charged emotional lyrics as well as a gritty band behind him to produce a blues-slash-rock sounds, which has been commended by many local media sources. His sound is highlighted by a sometimes raspy voice, which helps to fill the total appearance of the band.” – Grande Prairie Herald

“The boy has a confident presence on stage and certainly rejoices in the reality that to perform is to share a beautiful experience with your audience.” – Red On Black Music

“His high energy set was a definite crowd pleaser, and everyone was up out of their seats for the entire performance. With a voice reminiscent of The Cat Empire (minus the accent), Blais powered through his rock songs, and showed his ability to go in a bluesy direction, with accompanying harmonica, that really brings out the grit in his vocals. Keeping with the theme of the opening acts, Blais brought in a cover of “Are You Gonna Go My Way” by Lenny Kravitz that was thundering, with good horn additions to make it his own. He transitioned smoothly to Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition“, but a version that was slower, harder and very slick. Next, a cover of Franz Ferdinand’s “Take Me Out“, full of the same joy and energy that Blais showed with the rest of the set, highlighting the great new material on the release. Fans eagerly streamed to the merch table, securing their own copy, which came free with paid entrance to the show.” – Live Review – YYC Music Calgary

“Firmly rooted in many of the genres that Matt Blais incorporates into his music, his raspy yet refined vocals point each song in the direction it was originally intended.” – The Gauntlet

Calgary, AB rock blues musician Matt Blais is proud to premiere his latest music video ‘Running’ filmed during his time in Los Angeles for MUSEXPO earlier this year and directed by Matt Schichter.

“A music video is just another means of creative expression. For “Running” we wanted to tell a story that would add to the message of the song. I think we achieved some really beautiful images.” comments Blais.

In additional news, Blais will be in Toronto recording his winning song “Fire from the Spark” with Sam Roberts on September 23/ 24 after winning the My Song For Change contest presented by Make Music Matter. (Info here: http://mysongforchange.com/)

Touring across Canada for most of 2014 and 2013 with performances at Canadian Music Week, Indie Week, Alberta Beach Fest, Canal Flats in BC, Calgary’s Blankfest III, the Calgary Stampede Fest and showcasing this year at MUSEXPO in Los Angeles, Blais has gained strong comparisons to artists such as Sam Roberts, Matt Mays and Joel Plaskett. Blending elements of fiery rock and roll with smooth vintage soul blues, Blais has formed a sound so uniquely his own that one can’t help but become emotionally charged. The combination of his high energy live show and a passion for song writing is Blais’ formula for success, which thus far has been very well received by critics and the audiences in Canada and beyond that continue to grow in number.

“Over the past five years, Matt Blais has been generating a catalogue of material that is both emotive and relatable. His passionate live performances demonstrate eagerness to create heartfelt songs and nowhere is more evident than on his newest album, The Heartbeat, where a poetic personality fuses with growing life experience.” – Beatroute AB

“The name Matt Blais is a familiar one to those in the Calgary, Alberta music scene. Well known as talented and respected musician, Matt likes to break musical moulds, mixing rock, blues and soul for a sound all his own…I sat with what might be described as a “perma-grin” as he effortlessly played to every person in the room that night. A natural born entertainer, Matt is the real deal, and if it’s an entertainer you’re looking for all you have to do is follow The Heartbeat.” – The Portal Magazine

“…he is rock ‘n’ roll. And has been for some time, now, becoming a fave staple on the western Canadian scene, fronting his melodic barroom blues rock band, that calls on the jukebox of classic rock influences – many of who are in said club (the 27 club) – while making it distinctively his own….And crowds have shown him a great deal of love over the past several years, with Blais and band packing rooms across the Prairies and gaining notoriety by performing during Calgary’s Juno Fest shows in 2008 and winning local talent showcases such as the AMP Radio Rockstar competition.” – Calgary Herald

“Blais uses heavily-charged emotional lyrics as well as a gritty band behind him to produce a blues-slash-rock sounds, which has been commended by many local media sources. His sound is highlighted by a sometimes raspy voice, which helps to fill the total appearance of the band.” – Grande Prairie Herald

“Matt’s newest release, “The Heartbeat”, is packed with emotionally driven rock and roll that possesses a nostalgic presence that will fill the listener’s head with a sound that is not usually found in today’s music scene…What makes him and this song (Running) unique is his ability to create a vintage sound that is of his own with lyrics that fully compliment the song as a whole. Matt instantly catches the listener’s ear with an addictive chorus.” – Emurg.com